West Coast Judge Conference

Hello everyone!
 
It is my distinct pleasure to announce another West Coast Judge Conference! 
 
We'll have it all! Seminars! Judge call roleplaying! Guest appearances by judges both famous and infamous! Opportunities to test for shiny new levels! If you're itching to have an opportunity to network with other judges, learn some tricks of the trade, and discuss whatever your judgely heart desires, you've found the perfect opportunity.
 
Conference location:
 
Channel Fireball Game Center
1650 Coleman Ave
Santa Clara, CA 95050

Schedule:

Start (9:30 am - 10:00 am)

Welcome and Introductions

Sean Catanese - L3 - California (USA)

We have hit our cap of 150 participants for this conference, making it one the largest Magic Judge conference on record. That’s definitely too many for individual introductions, but we’ll introduce another fun way to get to know your fellow judges: Conference Achievement Cards!

Session One (10:00 am - 10:50 am)

Reviews and Feedback: The Right Tool for the Job

David Zimet and Joe Wiesenberg- L3 and L2 - California (USA)

One of the most daunting tasks associated with any event is providing solid feedback to your colleagues afterward. David’s skill and experience in writing quality reviews ranks easily among the best in the program. Here, we’ll learn and discuss choosing the right communication channel, framing your message, and providing negative feedback.

The Many Challenges of a Grand Prix

Gianluca Bonacchi - L3 - Italy

With GP San Jose just finished, let's discuss the common challenges we faced and what we can expect of our next GP, from the specific teams' priorities to the individual tricks for a better weekend, from the rules & policy aspect to the importance of feedback and community building. This seminar is aimed at judges looking to learn how a GP works from the inside, even if they haven't been on staff for one yet.

Judge Program Construction and Philosophy for Level 1 Judges

Sean Catanese, Aaron Hamer, and Shawn Doherty - RCs for SW, NW and NE USA

Half of this conference’s participants are Level 1 judges. This session is designed to focus on these “boots on the ground” for the Judge program and help local judges get straight answers to life’s biggest questions such as, “Why are so few L1s getting on staff at GPs?” and “Help! I have a problem with my local store! Who can assist me?” Your RC’s are here to help answer these and any other questions you might have about the Judge program’s philosophy and construction.

Session Two (11:00 am - 11:50 am)

Head Judging your first Competitive REL event

Nick Rutkowski - L2 - California (USA)

Head Judging your first Grand Prix Trial or Invitational Qualifier soon? Nervous? Never fear! Nick is here to walk you through some of the basics of Head Judging Your First Competitive Event. In this seminar Nick will cover the many things you need to know to make sure your event runs smoothly and professionally.

Making Mistakes

Louis Fernandes - L3 - California (USA)

Judges will, on occasion, make mistakes during a tournament. Even Louis makes them! We will discuss how to handle these errors, how to continue working despite the error, and how to create a positive learning experience for yourself and others.

Paperwork (Hands-On Workshop)

Riki Hayashi - L3 - Virginia (USA)

Paper isn’t just a team at a GP. Handling it properly is a skill that transcends every level of competitive play. As an expert paper master, Riki will slice and dice this topic with hands on demonstrations and interactive pieces, too.

Lunch (11:50 am - 12:50 pm)

Session Three (1:00 pm - 1:50 pm)

Layers, Dependencies, and Other Rules We Never Learned

Josh Stansfield - L2 - California (USA)

The complexities of this wonderful game we all love can be maddening at times. Transcend that madness with the help of this regional rules guru (and IRC regular as "bimmerbot"). He'll dive deep into why Riptide Mangler is so awesome with equipment, and why Opalescence and Humility really aren't all that intimidating together.

The October MIPG

Kevin Desprez - L4 - France

A new Magic Infraction Procedures Guide is slated for release right around this time. We can’t spoil all the new stuff and changes that will be happening here (mainly because we don’t know what they are yet!), but rest assured this will be an awesome opportunity to hear about the latest revisions to this critical document!

E-mail and List Posting - Doing it right (Workshop)

David de la Iglesia - L3 - Spain

If you’ve ever seen a Judge-L thread end with the booming voice of a NetRep, you know when Judge-related e-mails can go wrong, but who ever really reads that “Judge-L Protocol” thing at the bottom of Uncle Scott’s messages anyway? Learn more about how to better use these critical judge resources, and what their future versions might look like.

Session Four (2:00 pm - 2:50 pm)

Getting to Level 2

Leo Maros - L2 - California (USA)

Leo is one of California's newer L2 judges, but his journey to get there is an instructive one. He’ll cover the prerequisites for testing, test preparation, expectations, mentorship, and what you'll need to do if you're looking to get to L2. This session is intended for L1 judges who are interested in advancing to L2, but all are welcome.

Working With Your Local Store and Tournament Organizer

Tim Shields - Organizer Extraordinaire - Washington (USA)

Magic retailers are taking on more and more roles in organized play. If you want to have an impact in your local community, a good working relationship with your local retailer is going to be important. This session should help you plot a course to helping your local store and TO run better events and have an awesome time doing it.

Session Five (3:00 pm - 3:50 pm)

Game Rule Violation Remedies

Steven Zwanger - L3 - New Jersey (USA)

The IPG has made some changes to the category of Game Rule Violations this year. Learn how to apply these changes, how to determine whether to back up a game at Competitive REL, and what to do when you don't back up.

Sealed Deck Deck Checks (Workshop)

Arthur Halavais - L2 - California (USA)

The current PTQ season is Return to Ravnica Sealed, and it's a popular format. Join Arthur and a host of other veteran L2s as they show you the mechanics of an effective Sealed deck check along with pointers on policy and addressing problems. This session is designed for L1s with less experience in deck checks who may need this skill at GPTs or PTQs in the future!

L3+ Judges: What kind of leader are you?

Damián Hiller - L4 - Argentina

We are all leaders of our respective communities and areas of interest. We also know there are various kinds of leadership styles but, which exactly is your type of leadership? In this activity we'll  give a few general ideas of different kinds of leadership styles and, through a series of questions, which style you project.

Session Six (4:00 pm - 5:00 pm)

The State of the Judge Program (High-Level Judge Panel)

There’s a lot going on on the world of judging, too much to cover in this one hour, in fact. However, if you've got a burning question for a high-level judge, here's your chance! Confirmed judges on this panel include: Sheldon Menery (Emeritus), Toby Elliott (L5), Riccardo Tessitori (L5), Jason Lems (L5), Kevin Desprez (L4), Damian Hiller (L4), and possibly more!

After the conference (5:00 pm - ?)

Commander! Dinner! Gaming!

The conference is over, but the evening’s just getting started! The store won’t be able to host us after the conference, so we will invade nearby restaurants. 

We will offer a packet of special judge foils to each certified judge in attendance. However, we need every judge who is intending to attend to register. Judges who do not register ahead of time may experience a (significant) delay in receiving foils for participating.